Style + Design

Australian interior design trends have a sense of freedom and a connection to the earth making them suitable for any home in 2018. Diana Smith investigates further. Interior design trends are changing so rapidly and monumentally every single year, and keeping up with all of them is rather hard. That’s why people usually just follow those that are characteristic for their own region only instead of paying attention to all global trends. So it’s wonderful to introduce Australian interior design trends to you. Every region has its preferences, and when it comes to Australia, people usually stick to clean, simple,…

Redecorating tips are devoured by home lovers who have ‘The Block’ and ‘Fixer Upper’ on speed dial. We all love a beautifully decorated home but perhaps don’t give the process much thought. It doesn’t just ‘happen’ but it can happen for you. Your home is likely to be a really comfortable place to live. After all, one of the core functions of a home is to be functional and liveable. Perhaps you’ve spent time choosing the perfect sofa and a fabulously comfortable bed. But that’s not decorating, is it? So these redecorating tips may have you re-thinking what makes a…

Creating unique homes is a goal to which we should all strive. Our homes reflect our personalities, lives and loves. Your life is unique to you so your home should be as unique as you are. And the good news? When creating unique homes only a few rules apply. Creating unique homes is easy… and not easy. It’s easy to craft a home that is a little, well, boring. Sure, it can be well put-together and look aesthetically pleasing, but there’s little that makes it stand it from all the other homes on the street. The tough bit is that…

Your fabulous home must be functional as well as stylish to ensure you love where you live. So if you need more space or the illusion of more space, ensure the changes you make work with your lifestyle AND contribute to you having a fabulous home. When you have your interior design hat on you you may wish you had more space with which to work. You immerse yourself in the stunning home design magazines and long to recreate the chic interiors that are spread across the glossy pages. You may even tell yourself you’ll have a fabulous home if…

Modern glamour? I’m your girl. Think Art Deco, classic 60s’, Emma Peel, Palm Springs, Palazzo style, elegant and cool. Modern glamour is really just reinvented old glamour, and the fabulous rules still apply. Make a statement but play it cool. So how can you achieve that? Modern glamour style is seriously grown-up and also playful. It’s not a severe or minimalist style, it’s about creating contrast, playing with textures, using glass and metal to great effect, and cocooning your home in.. well…. GLAM. The Scintillating Surprises of Modern Glamour Create surprises by using the best of different styles, such…

Hot interior design trends are avidly followed by home lovers as well as designers. It’s not about blindly following design trends, but taking elements you love to freshen up your decor. There is never one trend to rule them all when it comes to interior design; even HOT interior design trends. This industry is ever changing and if you want to stay current in the design world you should definitely implement into your home some of the hot interior design trends coming in 2018. The key is finding the perfect combination of trends that will elevate your style without making…

Room Makeovers: Breathe Life and Style into Each Room of Your Home New Year, new interior design, right? Right. The time is better than ever for room makeovers to freshen up your interior and bring your home back to its former glory, or even make it shine in a completely new light. Fortunately, for you, room makeovers don’t have to be expensive projects – you simply need a few trendy ideas you can incorporate into your existing decor. From the bedroom all the way to the dining room, there are plenty of small changes you can implement that will breathe…

Easy DIY projects are favoured for quick weekend jobs and by those who are not confident redecorators. And you can save money. So put your wallet away. You don’t need to spend a fortune on renovating your home when some easy DIY projects will help add more style. Despite what some TV shows might lead you to believe, some projects don’t need expert intervention. Yes, a professional eye can help, but there’s no reason why you can’t do some redecorating yourself. Virtually anybody can renovate their home with a healthy dose of DIY, because the changes needed may not be…

Scandi design has taken the world by storm – a wonderfully Scandinavian storm. We are now learning things the Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians have known for centuries. When attempting to design your home to exude peace, serenity, and positivity, you should turn to the Danes for guidance and help in creating Scandi design. Being one of the happiest nations on the planet, the Danes have perfected and coined their own interior design trend, aptly named Scandinavian Interior Design, which is quickly taking over the world. Its staggering growth in popularity can be attributed to its use of contemporary elements in…

Trick the eye with space enhancing ideas that make rooms look bigger. You’ll love these seven easy bright ideas. As cities expand, more people are living in smaller spaces, not to mention the popularity of the Tiny House Movement. However, you don’t have to live in a miniscule house to benefit from space enhancing ideas. There are ways to trick the eye into seeing a space that’s not really as big as it appears. As an Interior Designer, I am often required to rearrange and design spaces using tricks to make a space appear bigger. Apartment and townhouse dwellers in…

We all have neglected parts of our home. Yet the bizarre commonality among home owners is that they never feel as though they have enough space. This is despite the fact that they’re not using the space that they do have properly. The reality is that there will be neglected parts of your home that could be used more effectively but aren’t. So, before you start complaining about the lack of space in your home, here are a few typically neglected parts of it that you might want to start giving a little bit more love. Neglected Parts: Your Backyard…

Downsizing is the new upsizing as rampant consumerism makes way for more care, less glitz, and a return to less opulent values. Once upon a time (not too long ago) upsizing was a natural part of life’s order. The more you earned the more you owned. How times have changed; now downsizing is all the rage with tiny homes and Scandi-inspired minimalism. Moving from a palatial space in the country to a city condo, owning a home to suit your needs and not a home where you have to fill it with stuff. Embracing the minimalist movement or finally making…

WOW factor is that cohesion of interior decor that just makes a house feel AWESOME. It can be indescribable, or it can be very specific. But it ALWAYS appears effortless. No one wants a house that makes people feel unwelcome when they walk in the door. Having a little pride about your home is important with many home lovers wanting to add a little wow factor (or alot). That’s just good sense. Changes don’t have to be expensive, either, which means you can add life to a home without remodelling the entire house. Sometimes, a new set of curtains or…

Creating a focal point in any room in your home can easily turn ‘rather boring’ into ‘effortlessly stylish’. When you have a focal point, or ‘Hero’ piece, in a room it provides a starting point for a design scheme. By having a focus from which other elements of the room are drawn, you create instant (with a little effort) wow factor. To show you how it works, let’s start with one important room for a focal point; the living room. Often, the focal point in a living room naturally becomes a stunning fireplace, amazing picture window, or some other architectural…

The winning rooms from this years reality renovation show, ‘The Block’, have been keenly anticipated. The southeast suburb of Elsternwick in Melbourne has never been as high-profile with the latest season of ‘The Block’ taking over an entire street. Five weatherboard homes… OK… complete wrecks… were transported and positioned side-by-side to be transformed into winning rooms and complete homes by first-time, amateur, and semi-pro house renovators. With home renovations at an all-time high, viewers were taken on a rollercoaster ride of inspiration, drama, let-downs, and hysterics. But somehow the five weatherboard houses, some without floors and ceilings, were transformed into…